Shoesmith 4th graders have been learning about the blues, listening to the blues, discussing the blues and snapping their fingers to the blues! After finding out our “blue names” using a blues name generator, students wrote their own blues, often using moans, repetition, and rhyme.
Ms. Lehner
4th Grade
Pandemic Blues (group poem)
Whoa, I’m so tired of wearing a mask
I said I’m so tired of wearing a mask
So many vaccinations,
My arms are aching!
People panicking in stores
for wipes and toilet paper
I’m sick, sick, way down low
There’s so many places we can’t go!
I’ve got the pandemic blues.
The youngest child blues
Old Gumbo Green (aka Desiree)
I got the youngest child blues
When my older sister bosses me around
I feel like going round and round
When I come home I have my keys
She acts like I have to pay a fee
When I’m on the phone she comes in my room
And her tone goes deep like I did something
Oh, I’m so young
She tells me to come
I say yes
She says go feed the pet.
When I say no
She says just go.
When I’m happy she gets mad
I say I’m hungry
She says okay, well, I’m grumpy.
I got the youngest child blues
The Math Blues
Brown Gumbo Rivers (aka Harmony H.)
The blues in my shoes
the math of the blues
the learning of the fractions blues.
the failing of the quizzes blues.
you can’t get no new shoes.
so much math blues
you never know when it’s watching you
Right now you’re doing your math
you can’t find the answers
I got the math blues
its all in my shoes
4th Grade
The angry blues
Pretty Dog Rivers (Leelah H.)
I’ve got the angry blues
I’m mad and upset
It’s hard not to be this way
It’s really hard, what can I say?
I’ve been trying to calm down
I can’t flip frown upside down
My life is spinning around
and I’ve got the angry blues.
I love it here. It’s so nice.
But what can I say when I’m angry?
Maybe like gurr or ugh,
but we don’t know.
My head is hotter than hot sauce.
I’ve got the angry blues ooo hooo
Everyday
Boney Gumbo Hopkins (Journie C.)
I’ve got the going to school blues and
doing chores around the house, making
changes to my homework, going to dance
with my annoying sister on the sideline whoa
whoa, whoa, whoa
my parents arguing about nothing,
about scary movies then going to bed
my kitten biting me, la, la, la, la, la, whoa, whoa, whoa
I’ve got, I’ve got, the going to school blues
and runnin’ around to get my stuff and
my kitten going to hurt me because
I am not a baby
The Homework Blues
Curly Bones Rivers (Kylie H.)
I’ve got the
homework blues
I’ve got he homework blues
cause my teachers
are jerks. They
give me lots of
homework.
I’ve got the
homework blues
I’ve got the
homework blues
I don’t want homework cuz
it’s too much work
I don’t want homework cuz
I’m not a jerk
I’ve got the homework blues
Dadann
Monday Morning Blues
Peg Leg Money Hopkins (aka Natalia C.)
I’ve got the Monday Morning blues|
don’t wanna get up for school, cause I’m too cool
I just wanna stay at home, all silent,
dark alone in my room. I’ve got the
Monday Morning blues
I have no clue
who invented school, yeah, who invented school?
whoa, whoa, whoa, I’ve got the
Monday Morning blues, Monday Morning blues
yeah, don’t know who invented school
But I’ve got the
Monday Morning blues. Yeah, uh, I’ve got the
Monday Morning blues
